Regulators of the general type set forth in the paragraphs above are usually one of two types. These are the ball valve types and the plunger types. The present invention is of the plunger type. Both types suffer from the same problem when used in the environment of the invention, and that is that they tend to pulsate, fluctuate, create hydraulic hammering and the like in use. All of these conditions are totally unacceptable in the racing and high performance areas. Such undesirable effects as pulsations and the like can cause an overlean condition of the fuel, can even cause total starvation of fuel, both of which can cause the car to stall. Even the slightest pulsations, which may not even be discernible to a driver or passenger in the car, will cost a loss of power, which, even though small, can mean the difference between winning and losing a race. Racing drivers are extremely sensitive to proper delivery of fuel, and their racing vehicles are routinely fitted with gauges and instrumentation so that they can observe the pressure in the fuel system. Any such pulsation, fluctuation or the like will be instantly discernible from the gauges, even though it is small enough so as to have no noticeable effect on the performance of the car, that is, noticeable to the driver using his normal human senses only. The power loss however will definitely be there, and thus this problem must be solved.
As stated above, bypass or return line type of regulators do solve this problem, but they have other disadvantages of their own as set forth above and as is known to those skilled in the art. The present invention thus is of a totally different design than a bypass regulator, to thereby avoid all of its disadvantages. However, the problems with non-bypass regulators are serious in the prior art, and they are solved by the present invention.
Plunger type regulators in the prior art produce a seal in one of two manners. There are some that use a separate sealing member, such as an "O"-ring formed of rubber or other elastomeric material. There are others which provide physical contact between the surfaces of tho plunger and the valve seat itself, sometimes with and sometimes without a separate resilient sealing means.
Another problem with ball valves which is not present in plunger type valves such as those of the invention which use a hard surface contact, is that there is a pressure magnification on the seal. That is, as is clear, a ball contacting a conical seat creates a line of contact. Pressure on the parts magnifies tremendously the force at this line of contact. That makes it more difficult, increases response time and increases pressure drop, to "break" or open such a seal. In the present invention there is no such pressure magnification problem because of the relatively larger surface area, metal to metal or other hard surface, at which the seal is created.
The problem with an elastomeric seal is that it slows down the response of the valve. That is, the compressed material must be decompressed or returned to its normal physical condition before the valve can open. That causes a pressure drop and a loss of time. Thus, valves of the prior art that utilize a resilient member as the main seal are unacceptable for this reason. Again, racing drivers with their complete instrumentation are aware of the response time as well as the pressure drop, and thus prefer not to use such devices.
Ball type valves almost always use metal to metal or other hard surface contact for the seal. The problem with these valves as well as plunger types that do not use an elastomeric seal is that they tend to chatter, pulsate, fluctuate and the like during use in the environment of the invention.